Boaters share their experiences cruising the Great Loop

DECATUR, Alabama (AP) ― A Huntsville couple is among several Alabama boaters who have embarked on the more than 6,000-mile voyage through the so-called Great Loop.

The waterway stretches from the Florida Keys to Canada, and connects rivers with the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

Alabama boaters who cruise the loop recently met up at a park in Rogersville to share their experiences during the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association fall rendezvous, The Decatur Daily reported. The five-day meetings included sessions about various marinas along the loop and advice from experienced loopers.

Huntsville couple Liz and Bob Staggs set sail in their 34-foot long, 17-foot wide catamaran from Joe Wheeler State Park in 2006 and spent a year traveling the Great Loop.

“We thought we had a rich and full life before – and we did. We were very active in our community, but doing the Great Loop – it was a life-changer,” Liz Staggs said.

Since that voyage, the Staggs have made trips through canals in France and Canada.